flames, but Nick blocked his route. “I need you to stay back, sir. There is a chance that the truck could explode again.”
The man broke away from Nick’s grasp and moved closer to the truck. “My son’s here somewhere. I can’t find him.”
“Sir, I understand. There’s a lot of chaos, but he must be here somewhere. I need you to move away from the truck.”
Leaving Nick to deal with the man, Paige signaled to one of the policemen to carry an injured man to the truck, then rushed to the next patient. At least a dozen were dead; another three wouldn’t make it through the night. A woman with burns across her face lay on the ground with a baby in her arms. Paige stabilized her as best she could, then watched as two men carried her and the child to the flatbed.
A flash of red caught her eye on the far side of the ditch. Someone was still out there. Ignoring the danger of the burning truck, Paige ran across the blackened grass toward the figure. Heat radiated across her face. Another loud pop exploded and sent a flame shooting up her arm, burning the flesh. Paige glanced at the red welt rising on her forearm and forced herself to ignore the searing pain.
Halfway down the blackened ditch, she realized that the small form, saved partly from its position behind a blackened tree stump, was a child. She lifted the limp figure and carried him to a patch of grass at a safe distance from the burning truck. She scanned the small boy for injuries. Keeping his body aligned and his head supported, she laid him on his back. A faint pulse beat beneath his jawline, but he wasn’t breathing.
She yelled at him and shook him gently. No response.
“That’s my son!” The man Nick had blocked earlier ran up to her and grabbed for the boy.
“Stop.” Paige moved between the boy and his father. “I’m a doctor. If you want him to live, you’re going to have to stay back and let me work.” She grabbed the CPR mouthpiece from her bag and tilted the boy’s head to check for anything in his mouth. Nothing. She breathed two small breaths, then brought her ear against his open mouth. His chest lay flat and unresponsive.
“Come on …” Vaguely aware that Nick had arrived, she breathed for him again.
The boy arched his back and started coughing as Paige turned him onto his side, relief flooding through her. Burns crisscrossed his small body, but at least he was alive. The burn on her own arm ached, but all she could think about was the dead bodies, burned victims, and the fact that no fuel could mean days without clean drinking water for the refugees. And that the man crouched beside her might lose his son.
God help me … help all of us.
“Please tell me what’s going on.” The man rocked on his knees beside her.
“He’s breathing, but his pulse is weak.” Paige continued her assessment, understanding the need to keep the father distracted. “What’s his name?”
“Asim.”
“How old is he?”
“Six.” Disbelief shown in the father’s eyes. “Is he going to live?”
Paige watched Asim’s small chest rise and fall. “I don’t know.”
If he didn’t succumb to the injuries, it would be a miracle, but she was even more concerned about the chance of infection. Keeping wounds and burns clean in a disaster situation wasn’t going to be easy.
She turned back to the father. “What’s your name?”
“Samson.”
“Samson, I’m Dr. Ryan. I’ve just started working in the refugee camp.”
“We were on our way there.”
“I want to take your son there now. I don’t have the means to transport everyone to the hospital in Kingani, but I promise to do everything I can to help your son.”
Paige moved aside and let Samson pick up his son.
Nick signaled to Paige. “We’ve got the injured in the truck. I think you need to get back to the camp with them now so you can treat them. I’ll be right behind you with anyone else we find.”
Paige nodded and climbed up into the truck. Resources in the camp might be limited, but it
The man broke away from Nick’s grasp and moved closer to the truck. “My son’s here somewhere. I can’t find him.”
“Sir, I understand. There’s a lot of chaos, but he must be here somewhere. I need you to move away from the truck.”
Leaving Nick to deal with the man, Paige signaled to one of the policemen to carry an injured man to the truck, then rushed to the next patient. At least a dozen were dead; another three wouldn’t make it through the night. A woman with burns across her face lay on the ground with a baby in her arms. Paige stabilized her as best she could, then watched as two men carried her and the child to the flatbed.
A flash of red caught her eye on the far side of the ditch. Someone was still out there. Ignoring the danger of the burning truck, Paige ran across the blackened grass toward the figure. Heat radiated across her face. Another loud pop exploded and sent a flame shooting up her arm, burning the flesh. Paige glanced at the red welt rising on her forearm and forced herself to ignore the searing pain.
Halfway down the blackened ditch, she realized that the small form, saved partly from its position behind a blackened tree stump, was a child. She lifted the limp figure and carried him to a patch of grass at a safe distance from the burning truck. She scanned the small boy for injuries. Keeping his body aligned and his head supported, she laid him on his back. A faint pulse beat beneath his jawline, but he wasn’t breathing.
She yelled at him and shook him gently. No response.
“That’s my son!” The man Nick had blocked earlier ran up to her and grabbed for the boy.
“Stop.” Paige moved between the boy and his father. “I’m a doctor. If you want him to live, you’re going to have to stay back and let me work.” She grabbed the CPR mouthpiece from her bag and tilted the boy’s head to check for anything in his mouth. Nothing. She breathed two small breaths, then brought her ear against his open mouth. His chest lay flat and unresponsive.
“Come on …” Vaguely aware that Nick had arrived, she breathed for him again.
The boy arched his back and started coughing as Paige turned him onto his side, relief flooding through her. Burns crisscrossed his small body, but at least he was alive. The burn on her own arm ached, but all she could think about was the dead bodies, burned victims, and the fact that no fuel could mean days without clean drinking water for the refugees. And that the man crouched beside her might lose his son.
God help me … help all of us.
“Please tell me what’s going on.” The man rocked on his knees beside her.
“He’s breathing, but his pulse is weak.” Paige continued her assessment, understanding the need to keep the father distracted. “What’s his name?”
“Asim.”
“How old is he?”
“Six.” Disbelief shown in the father’s eyes. “Is he going to live?”
Paige watched Asim’s small chest rise and fall. “I don’t know.”
If he didn’t succumb to the injuries, it would be a miracle, but she was even more concerned about the chance of infection. Keeping wounds and burns clean in a disaster situation wasn’t going to be easy.
She turned back to the father. “What’s your name?”
“Samson.”
“Samson, I’m Dr. Ryan. I’ve just started working in the refugee camp.”
“We were on our way there.”
“I want to take your son there now. I don’t have the means to transport everyone to the hospital in Kingani, but I promise to do everything I can to help your son.”
Paige moved aside and let Samson pick up his son.
Nick signaled to Paige. “We’ve got the injured in the truck. I think you need to get back to the camp with them now so you can treat them. I’ll be right behind you with anyone else we find.”
Paige nodded and climbed up into the truck. Resources in the camp might be limited, but it
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